Hurricane Beth (2037, Blackford)
'''Hurricane Beth '''was a extremely catastrophic and deadly Category 5 hurricane and by far the worst hurricane of all time in damages. The third depression, second named storm, first hurricane and first major hurricane of the 2037 Atlantic hurricane season, Beth was noted for it's extremely destructive eyewall. It would become one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States and the costliest disaster in history, easily outpacing Hurricane Alan as the costliest hurricane. It also had the second highest storm surge of any storm in history, with 39 feet reported in Houston, Texas. Meteorological history On June 28, 2037, a tropical wave emerged off the western coast of the Gambia and began rapidly moving west. The storm began moving towards the Windward Islands and on July 1 advisories were initiated as Tropical Depression Three and it was only expected to peak as a Category 1 hurricane. As the storm moved west, early on July 2 the storm became Tropical Storm Beth, the storm started to move northwest and around 8PM on July 2 became a Category 1 hurricane, as it approached the U.S. Virgin Islands on July 3, it weakened to a low-end tropical storm. After it made landfall on the Virgin Islands, it weakened to a 35 mph tropical depression, however...as it moved north of Hispaniola early on July 4 it entered a rapid heating zone and began rapidly intensifying, rapidly strengthening from a 35 mph tropical depression into a 75 mph Category 1 hurricane, as it moved over the Bahamas it became a 100 mph Category 2 as much of Florida was put under a Hurricane Warning and the Gulf Coast under a Hurricane Watch and around noon on July 5 the storm made it's second landfall in the Florida Keys with 105 mph winds. From there it weakened off the coast of southern Florida to a 90 mph Category 1, however, as it began moving away from the coast it began rapidly intensifying again, going from 90 mph to 110 mph in one advisory, this is before it yet again strengthened from a Category 2 into a Category 4. With a landfall in Texas inevitable the Texan governor declared a state of emergency on July 6, at 2AM on July 7...the storm would reach 155 mph winds...and by 6AM the storm was a Category 5, however it weakened before becoming a Category 5 again the next afternoon, The entire Gulf Coast was now under Hurricane Warnings or Tropical Storm Warnings as the Category 5 hurricane began aiming for Texas, at 5PM on July 8, the storm made landfall with 170 mph winds. As the second strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in the US in terms of pressure, strongest hurricane to hit Texas in years and the costliest hurricane in history, the storm began moving northeast along the coast and underwent a rapid weakening phase, by July 11, the storm was a Category 2 hurricane, Finally, on July 14, at 2AM...the storm was absorbed by a cold front over southern Alabama. Retirement Due to the massive death toll, extreme amounts of damage, and incredible strength of Beth, the name was officially retired on April 6, 2038, by the World Meteorological Organization at the request of the U.S. government. The name will never again be used for another North Atlantic hurricane. It was replaced by Bethany. Category:Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes